Road Test: In-Salon vs. At-Home Treatments

Should you splurge on the salon treatment or go the do-it-yourself route? Find out which treatments should be done by a pro -- and which ones you should attempt at home

Scalp treatments There's been a lot of focus on the scalp lately, from entire hair care lines dedicated to scalp health to new scalp-focused treatments popping up at salons across the country. "Scalp stimulation is incredibly important for the health of your hair," says Kattia Solano, owner of Butterfly Studio Salon in New York City. "Every salon treatment should incorporate scalp massage." But does that mean you should splurge on a scalp treatment when there are so many at-home versions to try? Probably not.

Even though Solano is a salon owner, she recommends using Shu Uemura Essential Drops Purifying Blend, $48, at home. "In the salon, we combine two treatments in one -- you get the drops on the scalp and a mask on the ends," she explains. "But there's no reason you can't do the same thing in your bathroom." The main difference is the scalp massage. While you can -- and should -- thoroughly massage the drops into your scalp, you do miss out on the relaxing experience of having someone else do it for you.

Keratin Perfect may not be any good--never tried it myself-- but don't assume all DIY keratins are bad. I've tried about eight--some were crap, but I actually think Uncurly is better than the Brazilian Blowouts I used to pay $400 for and I think it costs me around $25 per use. I would say Keratin Earth, Pravana, and whatever Sally's brand is called were a waste, but Uncurly and Global were successful for me. A few more whose names I don't recall were so-so--not great, but not as bad as you're describing Keratin Perfect to be. If your hair's like mine--thick, too curly/wavy, and a frizz disaster in humidity--keratin is NOT optional and money IS limited, so you need to be able to do it yourself.